The Melbourne Vixens face a critical test of their premiership credentials over the last two weeks of the Super Netball regular season.
Five teams remain in the finals race with ladder leaders West Coast Fever (63 points) and Giants Netball (61) in the box seat for a top-two finish and the all-important double chance in the play-offs.
The Vixens fell to third spot with 56 points after Sunday's 60-58 defeat to the Giants at Hisense Arena, while the Queensland Firebirds and Sunshine Coast Lightning scored big wins to move up to 55 points.
The loss leaves last season's minor premiers facing a tough away clash with the Fever on Saturday night with their position in the top four on the line.
"There's no time to dwell on that (loss) except for just take what we need to and get prepared to fight again next week," Vixens coach Simone McKinnis said.
The Fever are coming off their first home defeat of the season, courtesy of the in-form Firebirds, and will be desperate to atone for a 14-goal loss to the Vixens in Melbourne back in round seven.
The Vixens then close the regular season by hosting another finals aspirant, the defending champion Lightning, in what shapes to be a season-defining contest.
With the Firebirds scheduled to play the bottom teams over the final two weeks, a finals berth for the Vixens or Lightning could swing on a victory, or bonus points collected, in the last game.
"The Lightning are fighting to stay in the finals, I mean we all are, so it's a tough couple of weeks," McKinnis admitted.
"But if you're going to go and play finals, there's no better preparation than to be playing some tough games leading into it.
"We want to be there and we will be pushing and working hard to be there."
